The Road to the League
by SailorChronos1
Summary: Pokemon trainer Heather Drake continues her journey and encounters some unexpected allies and enemies. When her Pikachu accidentally evolves, she searches for a way to change it back.  Sequel to Heather's Pokemon Journey.
1. Prologue

Pokemon, Pikachu and other Pokemon character names are trademarks of GameFreak Inc, Creatures Inc, Nintendo. No copyright infringement is intended.

The Road to the League  
by Sailor Chronos

So you want to be a master of Pokemon?  
Do you have the skill to be number one?  
I want to take the ultimate step, have the courage to be bold.  
To risk it all and not forget the lessons that I hold.  
I want to go where no one's been, far beyond the crowd.  
Learn the way to take command, use the power that's in my hand!  
We all live in a Pokemon world,  
I want to be the greatest master of them all! (The greatest master!)  
We all live in a Pokemon world,  
I'll put myself to the test, I'll be better than all the rest!  
So you want to be a master of Pokemon?  
Do you have the skill to be number one?  
We all live in a Pokemon world,  
I want to be the greatest master of them all!  
Got the power right in your hands!  
Pokemon!

Prologue

The weather was sunny but a chilly autumn breeze swept through the village square as Heather and her friend Christy walked back from the Twilight Gym. A lot had happened in the year-and-a-bit since she had left home for the first time, and she had been thinking about writing down some of her adventures before she forgot the details.

"Don't think I don't know what you're thinking," Christy said. "You could write a book about what you've been through."

"I know, but I'm not sure if that would be a good idea."

"Don't doubt yourself now! Do you know how many people have been asking me for my story? If they're that eager to hear mine, they'd be much more interested in yours, since you're the person who practically brought this village back to life."

As if on cue, Heather's younger brother Jack made an appearance from the schoolyard, along with a few other boys. "Hi sis! Hi Christy! Where's Craig? He promised he'd play baseball with us."

Heather laughed. "He has a bit more training to do, then it's his turn to close up the Gym for the night. He'd better hurry or it'll get too dark for you guys to play."

One of the boys, who had a Pidgey perched on his shoulder, asked, "Why don't we go to the PokeShop to get out of the cold while we're waiting, and you can tell us a story?"

Heather sighed, but Christy nudged her with her elbow. "Oh, all right." They all started to walk toward a storefront that was decorated with Pokemon drawings. "Let's see, where to start?"


	2. Chapter 1

Pokemon, Pikachu and other Pokemon character names are trademarks of GameFreak Inc, Creatures Inc, Nintendo. No copyright infringement is intended.

The Road to the League  
by Sailor Chronos

Chapter One: Wandering Soul

Heather stepped off the ferry onto the dock of Fuchsia City, her adventure on Seafoam Island and capturing an Articuno fresh in her mind. She had come a long way since she had left her village, almost a month ago now, wanting to become a master of birds.

The circumstances of her leaving, however, had been less than amicable. Following an argument with her father, who had forbidden her to leave the house because of the feared mythical "monsters" outside of their village, she had decided she would discover the truth on her own. With the help of her brother Jack she sneaked out, thus beginning the adventure of a lifetime.

During the ferry ride she had decided to go on the Gym circuit and train her Pokemon properly so she could eventually get into the Indigo League, rather than just travel around looking for birds. She knew that she needed another Pokemon since she only had five; the next on her list was Zapdos, but she wasn't certain about attempting to capture one. Her Pokedex had warned her that it was extremely powerful, plus she already had a Pikachu for an electric type. However, just for the chance to see the Legendary Electric Bird ought to be worth the effort.

Since she was here in Fuchsia City already, perhaps she ought to challenge the Gym Leader Koga for a Soul badge. According to the ferry captain, the Gym itself wasn't actually in the city but in the hills to the north, and was hard to find. Even so, her birds shouldn't have much trouble spotting it from the air.

She found a PokeMart at which to buy some supplies, including a tent to replace the one that had been destroyed during an encounter with the nefarious Team Rocket. Even though it was the middle of summer she didn't want to spend any more nights in the open if she could help it.

Then she had her friends checked out at the nearest Pokemon Center, to make sure they were all in top shape. She had pampered them at the Seafoam Island resort over the last two days but it was best to have a professional opinion. Nurse Joy assured her that they were fine.

Errands completed, she walked to the city limits and opened one of her PokeBalls. "Pidgeot, I choose you!" Her first Pokemon had been a Pidgey, now evolved into its second stage. "We need to get to the Fuchsia Gym. Do you think you could fly me there?" She knew he was strong enough to lift her, but carrying her for such a distance was another story.

"Pidgeot!" the large bird said confidently.

"Okay, if you say so." She strapped her pack on firmly before climbing onto Pidgeot's back and getting a good hold. "Let's go."

With a few strong flaps Pidgeot was airborne, and they were soon gliding over the countryside. Holding her brown hair out of her eyes, Heather marvelled at the view of the lush green hills below. "Wow! A bird's-eye view!" Just then, something occurred to her. "Say, Pidgeot... I think I ought to name you and the others. It's fine to call you all by what species you are, but everybody does that anyway, and I want my friends to be individuals. How about I call you 'Eagle' from now on?"

"Pidgeot!" came the enthusiastic response.

"All right, Eagle it is! Now I just have to find names for the others. Oh, why don't I let them out while I'm thinking." Moving slowly so she wouldn't unbalance Eagle's flight, she reached down to her belt and tapped two of her PokeBalls. Out came a Fearow and Farfetch'd, and they took wing alongside. She left her Articuno in its PokeBall; it was still a chick and wouldn't be able to fly for some time.

She watched them both and remembered aspects of their personalities that she had observed. Since evolving from a Spearow, her Fearow had become a fierce fighter but rather excitable, made more obvious by the ruff of orange feathers around his neck. The name 'Firey' was more than appropriate.

On the other hand, her Farfetch'd was more demure, even smug, and battled in a very calm yet sometimes unpredictable manner. Such behaviour reminded her of a character from a book that she had once read, whose name was 'Fletch', and decided to bestow the name on the Farfetch'd. When she suggested the names to the birds, all three approved.

Eagle squawked when he spotted the roof of a building with his sharp vision and descended. The landing was a little rough, but Heather had expected this, and made a mental note to fly with him more often to help him increase his strength and endurance.

"This is a Gym?" she asked skeptically as she walked up to the main doors of the place. It looked more like a grand old-style mansion than a Pokemon Gym. "Well, let's see if the Leader is here." After returning the birds to their PokeBalls, she knocked loudly.

And knocked again when there was no answer. "This is strange. I wonder if I just go in." She pushed on the door and it opened easily.

The interior of the house was like a maze, and she had a few close calls with traps when she tried to follow a loose Venonat that caught her attention. It didn't take long for her to realize that the whole place was meant as a test for challengers.

"I'm here to challenge Koga, not to waste my time!" she hollered in irritation when a glass wall blocked her way. "Pikachu, I choose you! Mega Punch!" The obstacle shattered, and the Venonat, which had been watching her from the next corner, squeaked in fear and ran off. "That showed it," she said smugly.

"I hear your challenge," a deep voice echoed through the hallway. A tall man with short spiky dark hair and wearing a white karate gi stepped into view. "I am Koga, Leader of the Fuchsia Gym. Because you are obviously serious in your pursuit of a Soul badge, you won't have to run the remainder of the gauntlet. Please follow me, we'll have our battle out in the courtyard."

They took their positions on either end of a dirt square that had been marked with chalk. "This match will be decided with two Pokemon each, and my sister shall be the referee." He indicated an athletic girl who wore a light purple ninja costume.

"I agree," said Heather. Her Pikachu stepped forward, ready to battle, but she stopped him. "Wait. Let's see what happens in the first round."

Koga threw a PokeBall. "Venonat!" The large-eyed insect Pokemon appeared and walked into the ring.

She nodded to herself; she had done research on Koga and knew he preferred poison types. Perhaps this was the same Venonat that she had seen earlier. "I choose Eagle!"

"Ready? Begin!" the referee called.

"Venonat, Stun Spore!" Koga's Pokemon let loose a cloud of scintillating dust.

"Eagle, Whirlwind! Blow it back!" Eagle's huge wings whipped up a storm that quickly dispersed the spores and left the Venonat reeling.

Koga encouraged his Venonat to hold on. "Venonat, Leech Life!" Thin tentacles extended outwards, but Eagle dodged easily, having the aerial advantage.

"Eagle, loop behind it and Quick Attack!" The bird folded his wings and hit the opponent with great force, knocking it out instantly.

"Venonat is out of the match!" the girl called. "Surely you can do better than that, big brother!"

Koga was impressed. "Venonat, return! Very good, but your Pidgeot will find this one more difficult. I choose you, Golbat!" His second Pokemon appeared and hovered above.

Heather recognized the type but opened her Pokedex anyway to record that she had seen it. "Golbat: the bat Pokemon. The evolved form of Zubat. This Pokemon can emit powerful sonic attacks," it said. She decided to stick with Eagle for the time being. "Eagle, Gust Attack!" The Golbat was blown backwards but it managed to fly out of harm's way.

Koga went on the offensive. "Golbat, Supersonic!" Immediately it attacked with a sonic scream. Heather cringed and put her hands over her ears in an attempt to block out the sound; Eagle became disoriented and fell heavily to the dirt. "Finish it! Golbat, Tackle!"

"Eagle, look out! Fly away!" she cried, but her Pokemon was still too woozy to avoid the hit, and was hurled out of the field. Growling with frustration, she returned him to his PokeBall. "Eagle, return! Pikachu, you're on. Thundershock!"

The electric Pokemon did his best to hit the Golbat, but it was too fast, swooping first to one side, then the other. "Golbat, use your Confuse Ray!" ordered Koga.

As the Golbat swooped low and prepared to attack, Heather saw an opening! "Pikachu, Swift! Jump onto its back!" Pikachu moved with such speed that Golbat couldn't find where to aim. The battle was over in the next moment as Pikachu leaped into the air, came down on top of the Golbat and shocked it.

"Golbat is out of the match!" announced the referee with some surprise. "The winner of this battle is the challenger!"

Koga stepped forward and called back his Golbat. "You have defeated me fairly. As a symbol of your victory, here is a Soul Badge." He handed her a pink heart-shaped pin. "This badge increases your Pokemon's defenses. Wear it with honour." Then he brought out a small cube-shaped device: a Technique Machine. "I present you with Toxic, a powerful poison attack that's ideal for grass or bug types."

"Thank you." She bowed to Koga and his sister, and continued on her way with a big smile on her face. Next stop, Vermillion Gym!


	3. Chapter 2

Pokemon, Pikachu and other Pokemon character names are trademarks of GameFreak Inc, Creatures Inc, Nintendo. No copyright infringement is intended.

The Road to the League  
by Sailor Chronos

Chapter Two: Meetings and Misadventures

After consulting her map, Heather decided that the fastest way to get to Vermillion City was cross-country through the rolling hills, since the main road followed the coast east before heading inland. It was already mid-afternoon, so she wouldn't be reaching her destination anyway until late the next day, even if she were to fly on Eagle's back.

Her Pikachu trotted along beside her, looking proud of himself. She had named him 'Loki' after a mythical being who liked to make mischief. The Articuno chick was perched on her shoulder, preening its feathers; its name was 'Skye' because of its colour.

Careful observation of her friends' behaviour had led her to think of them all as male, except for Skye whom, although still a little young to display any personality traits, she suspected was female. Pokemon were considered to be androgynous, with a few exceptions such as the Nidoran, but she really didn't want to refer to any of her friends as "it". In her opinion, Pokemon ought to be treated with respect, considering the abilities they had.

She had thought to rest Loki after his battle with Koga's Golbat, but on the spur of the moment asked him to disable a wild Mankey that they encountered. She expected that the Leader of the Vermilion Gym had electric types and wanted to increase Loki's level as much as she could.

Not long after that, a number of fallen trees blocked their progress. The barrier was covered in prickly branches and sap, making an attempt to climb over unpleasant. When they tried to go around, Heather noticed that the trees had recently been cut. "This has all the marks of either a bad logging operation or a trap," she said. "We'd better watch out for any trouble."

"Good idea, to prepare for trouble," a girl's voice sounded from on top of the trees.

"And I suggest you make that double," said a boy.

"That sounds too familiar," Heather noted as she looked up.

Unfortunately it was. "To protect the world from devastation! / To unite all peoples within our nation! / To denounce the evils of truth and love! / To extend our reach to the stars above! / Christy! / Craig! Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light! / Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

The half-daft duo from Team Rocket, blonde Christy and redhead Craig, were back. They had frequently interfered with her journey and she had little liking for them. Quickly she scooped Skye off her shoulder and hid her behind a leafy branch; the last thing she needed was to have Team Rocket knowing that she had an Articuno, even though it was only a baby. "When are you two going to stop following me?"

Craig's grin boded no good. "When you give us your Pokemon."

"We have special orders from our boss," said Christy. "He's very annoyed with your interference, and he has given us another chance to capture you."

"Make it easier on yourself and surrender," Craig suggested.

"No way!" Heather shouted. "I've already told you that I won't have anything to do with Team Rocket, and you're not getting my Pokemon!"

"Pika!" affirmed Loki staunchly.

"We'll see about that," Christy said with a nasty look. "Looks like your Pikachu is tired, so it won't have much of a chance! Go, Arbok!"

"Have you forgotten that I have more than one Pokemon?" was Heather's retort. "I choose you, Firey! Fury Attack!" The Fearow shrieked and dove at Arbok, which hastily retreated.

"Arbok, don't be a wimp! Poison Sting attack!" Arbok didn't obey immediately, as it was obviously intimidated by the bird's size. When the snake finally did attack, its stings hit nothing because its target had flown out of reach.

Heather decided to finish this quickly. "Firey, Leer attack!" Firey locked his gaze on Arbok, his eyes glowing.

Christy wasn't giving up. "Arbok, use your own Leer attack!" The snake's eyes glowed as well, but the Fearow had much more experience and power on his side, and Arbok soon keeled over. Exclaiming with anger, she tossed a Gloom out, but a quick shock from Loki frightened it into retreating.

"Does anyone else want to have a try?" Heather asked in a bored tone. "Might as well, since I've got all day."

Craig hesitated, but only for a second. "I choose Beedrill!"

"And I choose Fletch!"

He started to laugh. "What can that dumb duck do? Beedrill, Fury Attack! Show it who's the boss!"

"Fletch, fly!" As the Beedrill closed in, the Farfetch'd took to the air, and the startled insect barely missed ploughing into the ground. "Now, Swords Dance!" Holding his leek like a sword, Fletch whirled around and around Beedrill, smacking it repeatedly until it fell. Craig stared open-mouthed for a moment before slouching forward.

"What's the matter with you?" yelled Christy. "Can't you even train your Pokemon properly? Do something!"

After recalling Beedrill, he turned and frowned at his teammate. "You should talk!" he shot back before loosing a Zubat. "Zubat, Supersonic!" It pummelled Fletch with its sonic attack, and the duck Pokemon went down.

"Fletch, no! Hang in there!" Struggling to stand, Fletch could do nothing as the Zubat swooped down and tackled him. Seeing that Loki's electricity was depleted, Heather was about to bring Firey out again when the Zubat was abruptly encased in ice! It dropped; the ice shattered when it hit the ground, and it lay still.

Christy leaped down and helped Craig pick up his Zubat. "What happened? Does her Farfetch'd have an ice attack? That would make it a lot more valuable! Let's-"

"Forget it," he interrupted in a growl. "If you want to continue with this pointless chase, go ahead. I'm going back now. If the boss wants to punish me, let him. I'm tired of fighting and watching these Pokemon get hurt." With that, he strode off without looking back.

"Hey! Come back here!" She ran after him. "Come back!" Her cries became more plaintive as the two disappeared into the woods.

"What's up with them?" Heather asked, then after returning Fletch to his PokeBall she hurried over to where she had hidden Skye and picked her up. "Did you do that, little one? I didn't think you'd develop your ice beam attack so soon!" Skye looked at her with innocent eyes and cheeped. Loki shrugged and Heather began to laugh. It was a welcome release of the tension. "Oh well. Let's find a good place to camp for the night. We can continue on to Vermillion City in the morning."

* * *

The sun rose into a bank of clouds, and the humidity in the air suggested that a storm was on the way. Wanting to reach Vermillion soon, Heather ate a muffin bar, struck camp quickly and found a clearing where Eagle could easily take off. Once airborne, she relaxed a bit and hoped that they would make it before rain made flight impossible.

Eagle was clearly enjoying himself, even with her weight on his back. He was a strong flier, and showed little sign of strain from their flight yesterday. Few other flying Pokemon were large enough to carry their trainers, except for Charizard and Dragonite, and she could sense that he was proud to be able to assist her in this fashion.

Despite his willingness, she insisted that he rest for a while every so often so as not to exhaust himself. At around noon they stopped for lunch and she made up a batch of his favourite food as a special treat. Briefly she wondered if she could ride on Firey, then dismissed the notion. Fearows were about the same size as Pidgeots but shaped very differently and might not be able to handle the weight of a rider. Still, it might not hurt to try sometime if Firey didn't mind.

The rain came in the middle of the afternoon, forcing them to land. Luck was on their side though, as they weren't far from the city. Heather insisted that Eagle return to his PokeBall and walked the rest of the way, putting on her raincoat and using a hastily made mat of branches as an umbrella. By the time she reached the Pokemon Centre though, she was shivering despite the warm temperature, and hoped that she hadn't somehow caught a cold. Nurse Joy was concerned, and after having Heather change into warm clothes and drinking a cup of hot chocolate, instructed her to stay and rest at the Centre until the next morning.

"But I want to get to the Gym!" she protested.

Joy regarded her sternly but her voice was gentle. "The Gym will still be there tomorrow. You put a lot of stress on yourself, and since you've recently been in a tropical climate you might have caught something. I just want to make sure that you're okay."

Suddenly the doors to the Centre flew open and a thin blond boy ran in, carrying a badly injured blue and green Pokemon with what looked like a flower bulb on its back. "Nurse Joy! Quick! Please help my Pokemon!"

This was one she hadn't seen yet. As Joy rushed off, Heather flipped open her Pokedex. "Bulbasaur: the seed Pokemon. This Pokemon possesses abilities of both grass and normal types, making it a versatile Pokemon for beginners."

She watched as Joy calmed down the distraught boy and cared for the injured Bulbasaur, then walked over to them to offer a few words of encouragement. It was evident that they had had a tough Pokemon match.

"I'm sure you tried your best. That's what counts."

"All my friends have been saying that Lt. Surge is almost impossible to beat," the boy said morosely. "Now I believe it."

"There have been a lot of Pokemon coming here in the past few weeks, all after challenging the Vermillion Gym Leader," Joy explained. "He uses strong electric type Pokemon, including a Raichu."

That sparked Heather's interest, and she let Loki out. "I wonder if my Pikachu could beat that Raichu. I've got four badges and lots of experience to back them up."

"Four?" Joy asked incredulously. "Most trainers that pass through here only have two, because Vermillion is the third gym in the standard eight League Gym circuit."

"I know, but I got some of them out of order." She rummaged in her backpack and brought out a box which contained her badges.

The boy's eyes widened in excitement. "Boulder, Cascade, Rainbow, Soul! Wow! If you were able to beat Erika and Koga, for sure you'll beat Lt. Surge!"

"Every Leader is different, just like every battle," she reminded him. "The strategy that works for one may not for another."

Loki pulled on her pant leg to get her attention. "Pi-ka?"

She bent down. "Yes? You want to try?"

"Pika!" He nodded.

"You're one brave Pokemon, you know that?" She snuggled him for a moment, then had an idea. By her reckoning, he should have sufficient experience by now to learn the Agility move. "Let's see what you can do. Nurse Joy, may I test something?"

"As long as you don't blow out the windows," was Joy's dry response. "I recently heard a story about a Pokemon Centre somewhere getting seriously damaged by a Pikachu's electric attacks."

Heather chuckled. "Don't worry. Loki, Agility!" When he looked a little confused, she clarified. "Just run around the room as fast as you can."

"Pi!" Loki ran, first on the floor, then hopped from chair to desk and back to the floor, faster and faster, until he appeared to be in all places at once. Finally he stopped at Heather's feet, panting a bit.

"Cool! Your Pikachu knows Agility!" crowed the boy, and his Bulbasaur made noises of approval. "Lt. Surge's Raichu is fast but I don't think it's that fast. You'll beat it with no problem!"

His optimism buoyed her. "I certainly hope so."


	4. Chapter 3

Pokemon, Pikachu and other Pokemon character names are trademarks of GameFreak Inc, Creatures Inc, Nintendo. No copyright infringement is intended.

The Road to the League  
by Sailor Chronos

Chapter Three: Learning Experiences

The following morning she was fine. Nurse Joy advised her not to push herself too hard during her travels, to get proper sleep and be careful to not get chilled again. The boy, Kris, wanted to watch her battle with Lt. Surge, but his Bulbasaur still wasn't in good enough shape to leave the Centre, so she promised him she would return afterwards and tell him how it went.

With Loki strutting beside her, she felt on top of the world. The weather had cleared and the warm sunshine on her back was welcome. She had indeed come a long way in only a month; many trainers went months or more before earning four badges. Then again, it was likely they spent much more time training their Pokemon or going on side trips than focusing on battling the Gym Leaders for badges.

Perhaps she ought to take some time out to do the same. The official League Games weren't until next spring, so a lot could be accomplished before then. She would think more about it after she earned her Thunder badge.

The Gym was imposing with stark grey columns on the front, and she hesitated briefly before entering. Inside it was pitch black until a single spotlight shone down on her. "Welcome to the Vermillion City Gym," boomed a voice. Lights gradually came up until she could see four trainers standing at the other end of the spartan arena.

"I am Heather Drake from Twilight Village, and I'm here to challenge Lt. Surge," she announced.

One of the trainers laughed. "Another one? When will people learn?" Heather found his attitude annoying. "Hey boss, there's another victim for you. And she has a Pikachu!"

Another man stepped forward: Lt. Surge himself. He was tall, taller than Koga, dressed in military fatigues and a leather jacket, with bright blond hair. "You're in for a treat, pretty baby," he said, giving her a cheeky wink.

"I'm not a baby!" she countered.

"I call everybody that unless they beat me. Do you think you can?"

She refused to rise to the bait. "Let's have a match, then we'll see. If I'm good enough to defeat Koga then I should be good enough to defeat you."

Lt. Surge took a PokeBall from his belt and began to toss it in his hand. "That doesn't prove anything. You'll have to show me." He threw the PokeBall into the ring and a Raichu emerged. "Every trainer that comes in here with a Pikachu gets to meet my Raichu. Are you sure you want to get trashed?"

Time for the Pokedex. "Raichu: the electric mouse Pokemon. The evolved form of Pikachu, it is capable of attacks of more than ten thousand volts." Loki glared at the Raichu, sparks jumping from the electric sacs on his cheeks. He showed no sign of backing down. "Pika!"

"Have it your way, then." The overhead lights came on, illuminating the ring brightly. One of the junior trainers picked up a microphone. "This match is one on one, no time limit. Lt. Surge will use Raichu. The challenger Heather has chosen a Pikachu. Good luck."

* * *

After her match, Heather returned to the Pokemon Centre as promised, to tell Kris about the battle and to have Loki treated. Kris and his friend Kevin, a stocky boy with flame-red hair, were most impressed with her five badges. When asked how she had beaten Lt. Surge, she modestly explained that Lt. Surge himself had revealed his secret during the battle.

"If a Pikachu evolves before it learns its higher level skills and attacks, it won't be able to learn them afterwards. He said something which implied that he had evolved a Pikachu quickly to get his Raichu, so I hoped that it wouldn't be able to keep up with Loki's Agility."

There was another round of congratulations. Nurse Joy walked up, carrying Loki and a Charmander. "Where are you headed now?" she asked, handing the Charmander over to Kevin.

"I was thinking about taking a break from the Gym circuit and training my Pokemon," she replied as Loki leaped up to her shoulders. "I understand that the Indigo League tournament isn't until next spring, and I'm not ready to go home yet."

"Why don't you get some advice from Professor Linden?" Joy suggested. "He works with many kinds of Pokemon and I'm sure he'd be able to get you started. I'll give you his address."

* * *

Heather followed Joy's directions and eventually came to a large two-story house on the eastern edge of town. The spacious grassy yard was fenced and the house itself was painted white with blue trim, and had gabled windows on the second floor. There was no response to either her knocks or ringing the doorbell, but she could hear some sort of commotion from within so decided to try the door. It was unlocked, so she opened it and slipped inside.

"Watch out!" a light tenor voice yelled. Heather flattened herself against the wall as a fiery-maned horse clattered past. "Sorry I didn't answer the door; the Ponyta got in the house again! Come back here, you!" She caught a glimpse of a man in a lab coat who held a squirming Rattata under his arm while chasing after the errant Pokemon.

Joining in the pursuit, Heather managed to grab onto the Ponyta's halter and calm it down, giving Professor Linden the chance to capture it in a PokeBall. "I hope this sort of thing doesn't happen every day."

The Professor laughed. He was young, slim and dark-haired with a kind face. "Not always. Thanks for the assist." He put the Rattata down and it scampered underneath a bench. "What can I do for you?"

Heather introduced herself and briefly explained her situation. "Nurse Joy said that you could advise me on what to do next."

"Certainly," Prof. Linden said. "First, may I see your Pokedex?"

When Heather handed it over, he inserted it into a computer and skimmed through the readout. "You've seen a lot of Pokemon in a very short time," he complimented. "Have you had this since you started?"

"No, I got it in Fuchsia City a few weeks ago. A trainer told me that it was my ID as well but I haven't needed to use it as such yet."

"You've been lucky that you haven't. This Pokedex isn't programmed correctly, which makes me think that the person who gave it to you was too rushed to do it properly." The professor typed some commands. "I'll do it now, so you won't have to worry about it any more."

Heather was surprised. "Why is it so important for it to be programmed? I thought it just recorded which Pokemon I've seen."

"Actually it does much more than that. It tells who you are, where you're from, and your status in the Pokemon League. As well it contains information about all the Pokemon, records the ones you have seen, and transports any extra Pokemon you capture to its point of origin. I see that you only have five with you, so that didn't become a problem." He swivelled in his chair. "I'll tell you what," he offered, "if you want, I'll have it send your extra Pokemon here."

"That'll be great, although I don't want to impose..."

Linden smiled. "It's no imposition. I love to take care of Pokemon as you've seen, and a few more won't matter." After tapping a few more keys, he withdrew the Pokedex from the computer and gave it back. "As for your other concerns, there are several things you could do. You could work with me as a lab assistant, or at the Pokemon Centre with Nurse Joy, since we always need help."

"Funny, Nurse Joy never said anything," Heather mused.

"It's not like her to come right out and ask sometimes," the professor said. "Perhaps she thinks she can solve all the Pokemon problems by herself." He paused to snatch a book out of the reach of a curious Squirtle that had wandered into the room. "Or if you're interested, there's a school up the road from the city that teaches all about training Pokemon. Kids who graduate from Pokemon Tech can enter the League without having to go around to the Gyms. There's a huge fee to get in, but I think they give scholarships for exceptional trainers."

She considered for a moment. "Won't hurt to go and ask. Okay, I'll check it out. Maybe I'll even learn something!"

"Good luck then. My phone number is in your Pokedex if you need to contact me. I'm really glad to have been able to help you out." Professor Linden smiled and waved Heather on her way.

* * *

This afternoon Heather stayed on the ground and walked along the road. On the way to Pokemon Tech she battled with two trainers, one with a Dugtrio (Fletch won) and the other with a Nidorino (Loki lost).

It was evening before she reached the school, but fortunately there were a few students lounging around the school grounds who answered her questions. Yes, there was a scholarship for serious Pokemon trainers, but she had to have six badges to qualify.

"Since you have the Rainbow badge already, your next one should be the Marsh badge. You have to go to Saffron City and defeat Sabrina and her psychic Pokemon," a pretty girl named Giselle informed her. "It's amazing that you've won five badges in only a month. A few weeks ago a boy came through here who acted like he knew everything even though he only had two." She and her friends giggled.

Heather was uncertain; Saffron City was where the Team Rocket headquarters was. "I had some trouble in Saffron City and I'd rather not go there again for a while."

"Then you might have a problem," said a boy. "The gym where trainers get the Volcano badge is closed, and you can't get into the Viridian Gym without at least seven badges."

"Pardon me." A well-dressed man walked up, obviously an instructor. "I overheard your conversation. There are other Gyms that aren't on the standard circuit but the badges they offer are just as valid in the Pokemon League."

"Really?" She pulled out her map and scrutinised it. "There's nothing marked on this. Where can I find them?"

He guided her to an office where he gave her another map. This one not only showed the eight regular Gyms, but at least four others plus a few special places. "This should help you. If you want to attend classes here, come back before the fall semester starts at the beginning of September and register. To qualify for the scholarship you'll need to show your badges and have a letter from a sponsor."

Heather was pleased. "Would Professor Linden count as a sponsor?"

"He would indeed, he's well known around here for his Pokemon research. I'd say that all you need to do now is find one of those other Gyms and get a badge." He kindly showed her the way out. "Good luck, and I'm looking forward to seeing you again. Perhaps you'll be in one of my classes!"

Now with a new sense of direction, she studied her map and decided to make a trip to the Rock Tunnel via Lavender Town. Maybe she could catch a glimpse of Zapdos near the Power Plant if she was lucky. Before she left, Giselle challenged her to a battle, but a Cubone was no match for her Farfetch'd.


	5. Chapter 4

Pokemon, Pikachu and other Pokemon character names are trademarks of GameFreak Inc, Creatures Inc, Nintendo. No copyright infringement is intended.

The Road to the League  
by Sailor Chronos

Chapter Four: Evolution Confusion

Two days' travel, much of it by air thanks to Eagle, got her to the coast. She had sighted and battled a variety of wild Pokemon on the way, but encountered few people, and wondered if she was going in the right direction. However, when she emerged from the woods on top of a bluff, the large tower that was Lavender Town's prime landmark was clearly visible in the distance to the north. It was at least another half-day away though, so she had Eagle fly her down to a nearby fishing settlement, which looked like a good place to spend the night.

After getting a room at a nice inn, she went for a walk on the beach to enjoy the long evening. There were many fishermen around with water type Pokemon who wanted to battle with her, so she let Loki and Fletch have some fun. Much to her surprise, Skye insisted on battling a Poliwag when Loki became tired. She was growing by the day, but Heather hadn't thought the bird would want to battle until she was fully grown.

The Poliwag's trainer was contemptuous. "That little bird? Give me a break! Well, if that's what you want, it's fine by me. Poliwag, Water Gun!"

"Skye, Ice Beam!" The chick's ice beam froze the water attack, rendering it useless.

"Poliwag, don't let that thing beat you! Bubble Attack!"

Heather grinned; now she could test her secret weapon! The TM that she had received from Lt. Surge would have been perfect for Loki, but instead she had given it to the Articuno chick. Who would expect an ice type Pokemon to have an electric attack? "Skye, Thunderbolt!"

The bubbles evaporated as the lightning sheared past, and the Poliwag had no chance to escape. Its trainer recalled it and walked away silently, and all the others who had witnessed the match made various pretexts and moved off as well.

Smiling to herself, Heather picked up her Pokemon and made her way back to the village. Nobody would take Skye lightly again.

She reached Lavender Town late the next afternoon, and came across an eccentric old man on the road who insisted on telling her a story about ghost Pokemon that lived in the tower.

"Sounds like fun," she commented to Loki. "We're not afraid of ghosts, are we? How about we go and see after dinner?"

"Pika!" Loki was amenable.

When they exited the Pokemon Centre after their meal, though, they were confronted with two bedraggled teenagers. Their clothes were dirty and the backpacks they wore were torn. Despite their appearance, Heather knew who they were. "You!"

"You!" Craig returned sardonically. "Fancy seeing you here."

Christy cleared her throat. "Actually, we were hoping we'd find you here. It wasn't hard to guess that you'd avoid Saffron City."

"What happened? You two look like you've been having a really bad time. Did you get lost in the forest or something?"

"Your sarcasm is unappreciated," Christy snapped.

"We got thrown off the team as being too irresponsible," Craig lamented. "It's unfair really, considering that there are others who are worse than we were and they're still active."

"The boss just wanted a scapegoat." Christy's face reddened with anger. "Our Pokemon were confiscated too, since they were given to us when we first joined. But we got the last laugh: I'd caught myself a Psyduck on Seafoam Island, and hid it before we went back to HQ. I used it to get Craig a Spearow in the forest on our way here, so we both have birds now, just like you."

"Our offer from back in Celadon City is still good. Could we please join you in your journey?" Craig asked hopefully.

Heather considered. They looked sincere enough. "I still don't trust you, but if you're serious about this, I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. Let's go in so you can get yourselves cleaned up. You'd better find a PokeMart tomorrow and get new equipment too."

Craig stared at the ground, embarrassed. "We would if we had enough money. Otherwise we would have done that on the way. What we had before we joined Team Rocket was all used."

Exasperated, she turned on her heel, her plans for visiting the ghost tower pushed out of her mind by this turn of events. "Then how about you stay here for a while and help out until you earn enough to buy what you need. I'm leaving in the morning and heading north. When you're ready, catch up to me. Then we'll talk some more. Deal?"

"Deal."

* * *

The road north wound through grassy hills for a while but the terrain gradually became more arid as the day progressed. Mankeys, Sandshrews and Ekans were common in this area, and her friends benefited from battling them.

Heat shimmered on the road in the afternoon sun. She was getting low on water and worried about not making it to a safe place for the night when she rounded a curve in the road and saw it. Jagged rocky cliffs rose from the plain, with a large cave at the base that the road disappeared into. Beyond this to the east, on a long peninsula jutting out to sea, was the Power Plant. It was an impressive structure: steel, concrete and glass molded into a curvaceous shape. The plant likely supplied electricity to Cerulean City and other places nearby.

The tunnel was dark. She didn't think her flashlight batteries would last long enough for her to get through, and she had no Pokemon that were capable of emitting light. Better to avoid this and just fly westward on Eagle until they came across the road again. She found a smaller cave nearby that had a spring running through it, and camped there. Well rested, she and Eagle headed out in the morning.

While aloft, she did some thinking. The new map that she had showed that there was a Pokemon Gym in the forest north of Cerulean City, and by her estimate it would take nearly three days by road to get there from here, four if she took her time. Flying would cut the time in half, but she had implied to Christy and Craig that she would remain on the road so they would be able to catch up to her more easily.

Had she made the right choice in allowing them to accompany her? That remained to be seen. Even though they had done some nasty things in the past, it seemed to Heather that they weren't really bad people, and deserved a chance to redeem themselves.

The next few days were relatively uneventful. After landing near where the road emerged from the cliffs, she continued the trek on the ground. She travelled slowly, having matches with the other trainers that she met, including one with a Nidoran that gave Loki a hard time. During a welcome resupply stop in Cerulean City, she allowed herself the luxury of a bath at the Pokemon Centre.

She took the north road to a nondescript Pokemon Gym that had flowering ivy growing on its outer walls; the flowers attracted many of the local Butterfree. The Leader of this gym used bug Pokemon, his best one being a Scyther which he used to battle with challengers. Heather and Eagle defeated him fairly and earned a badge that looked like a silver square with a pale red V shape across it. From here, there was a road that wound further west through the hills and around Mount Moon to rejoin Route 3 which led to Pewter City.

In the late afternoon she arrived in a settlement near a mine where the various evolution stones were excavated, and had an engaging chat with one of the miners' sons. His name was Stef, and he had a rare Pokemon called Vaporeon.

"The stones that are mined here were highly prized for their mineral value even before they were discovered to evolve certain Pokemon," he explained. "There are mines scattered throughout these hills. It's believed that this was once a volcanic mountain range, and the high temperatures caused certain minerals to react in strange ways and create the stones. Over time the mountains eroded down to the hills that are here today. One of the most productive mines is at the foot of a hill that is known as Mount Evolution."

"How fascinating!" Heather said. "Do the properties of the stones remain constant, or do they fade after being used to evolve Pokemon?"

"Most stones work only once," he replied. "However, I've heard that top-quality ones can be used more often. Before any stone is put on the market it's examined by an expert who determines its quality and value. However, retail prices can also vary on location."

She mulled that over. "So, as an example, a Leaf Stone would be worth more than a Fire Stone in Celadon City because of the wide variety of grass type Pokemon in the surrounding area. The opposite might be true somewhere else."

"Exactly. Fortunately I didn't have to pay for the Water Stone that I wanted to evolve my Eevee into a Vaporeon, because my father works here. I can get you a Thunder Stone for your Pikachu if you want."

"No, thank you, I like Loki the way he is. He only needs a little more experience before he learns the strongest attack for his type anyway, which is as powerful as any Raichu's attacks."

Just then, a series of explosions rocked the ground and smoke billowed from the windows of a nearby building. "That's the evaluation centre!" Stef exclaimed in alarm. "All of this month's stones are in there, waiting to be inspected!"

"Let's check it out!" The two of them ran toward the centre. On the way, she spotted two other figures headed in the same direction from behind a store: Christy and Craig. She was surprised that they had arrived so quickly; perhaps they had hitched a lift from someone. "You two!" she yelled. "I see you decided to catch up. Do you have anything to do with this?"

"No way!" Craig hollered back. "We just got here ourselves, and we were looking for you!"

"More likely you'll be looking for trouble!" a girl called.

"And I would say you're going to find double!" a boy said.

Out of the smoke appeared two people dressed in Team Rocket jerseys. The boy was short with long hair dyed blue, and the girl was a half head taller with long blonde hair tied back in a braid. They both carried sacks, presumably filled with the stones they had taken from the building they had just blown up. "To infect the world with devastation! / To divide the peoples of every nation! / To denounce the goodness of truth and love! / To extend our wrath to the stars above! / Will! / Bonnie! / Team Rocket, circling the Earth all day and night / Surrender to us now or you'll surely lose the fight!"

"Another Team Rocket? Just what I don't need!" Heather sighed.

"So, you're the little girl that the boss has been so worked up about lately," sneered Bonnie. "I don't see how our predecessors could have had so many problems with you!"

Christy glared at her. "She's smarter than she looks, Bonzo!"

Will laughed. "Names will get you nowhere, Krusty! You deserved to be thrown off the team if you couldn't deal with one interfering kid."

"Not that you were very good to begin with," Bonnie continued with a haughty air. "You couldn't even come up with decent code names and went around using your real ones! What were you thinking?"

"And now you've teamed up with the very person who got you disgraced? What cowards!" said Will contemptuously.

Heather wasn't going to stand for this, no matter what differences she had with Christy and Craig. "It takes more courage to believe in someone than to blindly take orders and fight!" she said. "Now give back those stones and vamoose!"

"You'll have to battle us first!" Will challenged, and threw down a PokeBall. "I choose you, Venonat!"

With a disdainful snort, Heather loosed Eagle. He had defeated Koga's Venonat easily, and this one was likely to not have as much experience. Her hunch proved correct, and the Venonat was quickly overcome. Then she turned her attention to Will and Bonnie. "Eagle, Whirlwind attack!" They staggered backwards from the force of the wind and lost their hold on the sacks, which dropped on the ground and scattered their contents about. Stef, Christy, Craig and Loki rushed around, trying to grab as many stones as they could. If any got damaged, they would be worthless.

Abruptly Heather realised that a stone that Loki was about to pick up was coloured a smoky yellow: a Thunder Stone! "Loki, no! Don't touch that stone!" she screamed.

Too late.

When he touched it, he glowed and grew larger. His bright yellow fur became darker, his ears curled slightly and changed to black, and his tail lengthened. When the transformation was complete, he stood there looking bewildered. "Rai?" Even his voice was different. He was now a Raichu.

Team Rocket stared at each other, then Will said in a small voice, "Uh, Bonnie, I think we're the ones in trouble now."

"You bet you are!" Heather hollered in fury. "Your scheme made my Pikachu evolve before he was ready! You'll pay for that! Loki, Thunderwave attack!"

Loki complied at once. "RAI-CHUU!" The electricity ripped through the ground as well as the air, and dealt Team Rocket a tremendous shock. They fled, and Eagle was ready to pursue but Heather stopped him. They had learned their lesson.

Kneeling down next to Loki, she looked at him sadly. "I suppose I should start to call you 'Thor' now? No, I'd rather not." She held her arms out but he refused to come to her, however she picked him up anyway, knowing he needed the solace. Sparks jumped from the upset Pokemon's cheeks but she gritted her teeth and bore the discomfort as she nuzzled him. "It's okay. We'll make the best of it."

Stef put a hand on her shoulder sympathetically. "You really didn't want him to evolve? I'm sorry." He sighed. "I don't want to get your hopes up, but I've heard of a scientist who is a specialist in evolution and is doing research on a spray that will de-evolve Pokemon. Maybe he can help you."

Heather nodded. "I hope so."


	6. Chapter 5

Pokemon, Pikachu and other Pokemon character names are trademarks of GameFreak Inc, Creatures Inc, Nintendo. No copyright infringement is intended.

The Road to the League  
by Sailor Chronos

Chapter Five: A Fresh Start

Stef graciously invited Heather and her Pokemon to stay at his father's house for the night. She learned that the scientist she needed to see, Professor Westwood, lived near the Seafoam Island resort. This didn't improve her mood; it meant she had to backtrack, plus she would have to stay on the ground because Christy and Craig were with her.

Early the next morning she departed with the two former Team Rocket members in tow. She planned to travel south through Celadon City and cross the bridge to Fuchsia City, where they could get the ferry to the resort. If all went well, it would take about a week to get there.

Loki walked with her, obviously depressed, and she wished that she could cheer him up somehow. The evolution had been as much of a surprise for him as it had been for her, and it was clear that he had undergone a transformation in personality also. The happy, confident Pikachu was no more. Instead, as a Raichu, he was withdrawn and sullen. Perhaps he would get over it, but if he didn't, she would have a hard time with him.

Christy and Craig walked behind her, wanting to start a conversation but too nervous to break the ice. They had helped out back at the mining settlement, which was to their credit, but Heather felt that she couldn't fully trust them yet. Eventually, getting tired of the silence, she slowed and let them catch up to her. "This isn't getting us anywhere. If we're going to travel together, maybe we should start with a clean slate." She held out her hand to Christy. "Heather Drake from Twilight Village."

They shook hands. "Christy Sable from Viridian City. Thank you for letting us come with you. When we were discharged from Team Rocket we thought that it would be better for us to stick together and try to make some friends rather than starting over separately, and you were the first person that came to mind."

"We knew you wouldn't trust us," Craig continued, offering his own hand, "but if you give us a chance we'll prove ourselves. Craig Flint from Vermillion City."

Heather shook his hand also, then began to walk again, with her two new friends on either side of her. "I'm interested in why you joined Team Rocket in the first place, since you don't seem to be really bad people."

"We aren't," said Christy. "We were both in Cerulean City on our own Pokemon journeys, when we came across a Team Rocket operation completely by accident. In exchange for our silence they offered us both membership, and at the time we both had only one badge and not much experience with Pokemon, so we thought that joining them would help us become better trainers."

Craig took up the tale. "At least it seemed that way at first. We traded the low-level Pokemon we had for the ones you saw us with, but training them turned out to be more difficult than expected. They usually use poison or ground type Pokemon, and we weren't prepared for that, because we expected that we would receive more powerful Pokemon of the same type as those we already had. That's the main reason why I had such difficulty with the Beedrill, as you might have noticed."

"They didn't even return our previous Pokemon when they took theirs back," Christy said with a sigh. "I miss my Squirtle. Of all the water types I could have caught on Seafoam Island, I captured a Psyduck because I knew that you liked birds and it is a kind of bird."

"That's true, but how did you manage to catch it?" Heather asked. "Psyducks use very strong psychic abilities when they're upset."

She grinned sheepishly. "It was asleep."

They all laughed, then Craig put his hands behind his head and looked up into the trees for a moment. "I don't think a Spearow will be as difficult to train as a Beedrill, but in retrospect, if I had been able to evolve my Charmander into a Charmeleon, then a Charizard, I could have done so much better."

It seemed that Craig liked fire types. "I have an idea," Heather suggested. "I have a Technique Machine that I don't want to use. When we get to the next big town and find a PokeMart, I'll try to exchange it for one that gives a Pokemon a fire ability."

Craig was stunned. "You'd do that for me? If I gave it to my Spearow, that would be so cool! Nobody would think about a bird having a fire attack. A Spearow with Fire Spin!" He grinned and clapped his hands with glee.

"I don't think many people would expect a Pik... I mean, a Raichu with a Mega Punch either." With a sigh, she stopped walking. "Blast. I keep forgetting. I'm sorry, Loki." She stooped down and petted Loki, but he turned away from her.

"We'll find a way to change him back," Christy reassured her. "We feel somewhat responsible, so we'll do whatever we can to help."

She brightened. "Thanks."

While they were on the road, Heather spoke with her two companions at length, getting to know them better and answering their questions about Pokemon training. One afternoon, she battled her Farfetch'd against Christy's Psyduck, which proved to be a very interesting match.

At first it looked too easy. Christy could only get the Psyduck to use its Scratch attack, which was to be expected if the Pokemon was at a low level. Fletch was merciless with his leek and quickly got the upper hand. Heather was about to tell him to back off, when the Psyduck put its hands on its head and stared menacingly. Fletch glowed with a blue light and found himself unable to attack, much to his consternation.

Surprised, Heather whipped out her Pokedex. "Psyduck attack number three: Disable. This psychic attack temporarily blocks one of a Pokemon's abilities."

"All right!" yelled Christy. "I never thought it might be experienced enough to do that. Psyduck, Scratch attack!" The duck waddled forward and dealt Fletch a blow that was sufficient to throw him into a tree. He slid down the tree trunk to the ground and landed on his tail.

"Fletch, enough!" He righted himself, protesting furiously. "Don't be like that. I told you when we started that this was just to test the Psyduck's level. Return." Fletch did so, still grumbling.

"Your Farfetch'd sure is stubborn," Craig said.

"It took me a while to get him to listen to me," she admitted, "and even now he tries to get his way from time to time. But I know he respects me and I take good care of him." She turned to Christy. "Your Psyduck is at least Level 31 if it can do Disable, and since you've battled with it, you can add more experience. Let's say Level 32. That's a mighty powerful Pokemon to start with; do you think you can handle it?"

"I'd better!" Christy giggled and hugged her Pokemon. "I think I'll call you Goldy. That will remind us to work hard so you'll evolve into a Golduck!" The Psyduck quacked.

"Those are insanely powerful," was Craig's comment. Heather had also tested his Spearow and it turned out to be only about Level 10 but he wasn't deterred. "I'll use Hawke as my main Pokemon but I still want to capture a fire type or two. Are there any fire Pokemon other than Charizard that can fly?"

"I can't think of any, other than the Legendary Bird Moltres."

"Okay, I'll get a Charmander again and then we'll rock!"

"Hey guys!" Christy called, having gone on ahead. "We've arrived!"

Celadon City was just as large and bustling as it had been the last time Heather was here. After checking in at a Pokemon Centre they went to the huge PokeMart, where Heather tried to persuade a salesperson to trade her Toxic TM for the TM Fire Blast, which was a very powerful fire attack similar to Flamethrower. His argument was that the retail prices of each differed considerably, plus he only had one of them. She countered with the fact that Toxic was an excellent ability for grass and plant type Pokemon, of which there was an abundance in the area, and people would pay handsomely for it. Finally he relented, and no sooner did she have it in her hand she turned around and gave it to Craig, who wasted no time in giving it to his Spearow.

Both Christy and Craig had earned only one badge prior to joining Team Rocket: Christy had a Boulder badge and Craig a Cascade badge. Heather encouraged them to try for a Rainbow badge while they were here so they would gain some experience. Knowing that Erika would likely opt for a two-on-two match, she offered to let them borrow one of her Pokemon, as well as giving them a few hints about Erika's style.

The extra Pokemon wasn't needed though, because the Psyduck's psychic attacks and the Spearow's unexpected Fire Blast ability were enough to win their respective matches. Heather's friends were very proud of themselves and their Pokemon, and made up their minds to train harder now that they had a second chance.

They had both also won the Mega Drain TM, but neither of them could use it, so the next day before they left they returned to the PokeMart and the salesperson was more then happy to purchase them because he didn't have any in stock. This gave them the money they needed to finally buy themselves good clothes, gear and PokeBalls.

However, the best event happened shortly after they had left the city and turned south again: they encountered a Vulpix in the forest.

"That's a fire type!" Craig was determined catch it. "Hawke, I choose you! Fire Blast!" His Spearow opened its beak and let loose a burst of flame. The Vulpix responded with an Ember attack but the Spearow's attack was stronger and the fox Pokemon emerged from the flames looking battered.

"Great job!" Craig said. "Finish it! Hawke, Growl attack!" The Vulpix staggered under the assault and slipped onto its haunches. Craig pulled one of his brand-new PokeBalls from his belt and threw it, capturing the Vulpix!

He stared as the PokeBall rocked a bit then became still. "All right!" he crowed as he picked up the ball. "I've caught a Vulpix! My first real capture."

Heather and Christy congratulated him. "Train it well and you'll rack up experience in no time," Heather said. "It gains its strongest attack, Fire Spin, at Level 42."

Christy crossed her arms in front of her. "Now I'll have to catch myself another water Pokemon! I'll get the same number of water types as you have fire types. You're going to have some competition here, my friend!"

They laughed, and Craig turned to Heather. "Before I left Vermillion City, I visited a cruise ship that often docks there, and the Captain gave me this." He held out a Machine. "At the time I felt I didn't need it, and I've had it in my backpack since then. Because you were nice enough to get the Fire Blast for me, I want you to have it."

Heather took it and used her Pokedex to identify it as the Cut ability. "Thank you, I'm really touched," she said. "All my Pokemon already have special moves, but I'm sure this will come in handy in the future."

The journey continued.


	7. Chapter 6

Pokemon, Pikachu and other Pokemon character names are trademarks of GameFreak Inc, Creatures Inc, Nintendo. No copyright infringement is intended.

The Road to the League  
by Sailor Chronos

Chapter Six: Glimmer of Hope

"Shellder, Tackle attack!"

"Rusty, Ember attack!" His opponent thumped on the sand.

"Shellder, return! That was a good match. Thank you." The trainer shook hands with Craig and left.

"That was terrific, Craig," said Heather as Craig stooped down to pet his Vulpix. "You're doing much better." During the ride on the ferry, she had encouraged him to talk to and exercise with his Pokemon so he would get to know their personalities. "The more you practise, the easier it will be for you to work together."

They had come across a bus depot outside of Celadon City, and had boarded a bus to Fuchsia City, where they were able to get off right at the ferry terminal. This had saved them at least three days of walking.

She smiled at Loki. The Raichu was still in a funk, but it wasn't as bad now as it had been at first. Her friends had suggested on several occasions that she put him in his PokeBall to prevent him from shocking her every time she tried to be affectionate toward him but she refused to do so. Instead she bore it and spent much time talking to him or just sitting quietly and keeping him company. Her patience was paying off; gradually he was opening up and listening to her again.

Craig stood up and looked around. "Where's Christy?"

"She went off to look for water Pokemon. I'm sure Goldy will take care of her if she gets into trouble."

"Yeah, that Psyduck of hers is way cool."

"Hey guys!" came a shout. "Come here, quick!"

They looked up to see Christy waving frantically at them from further down the beach, and they went to join her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" Christy lowered her voice. "Come and see this!" She led them along the seashore for a bit, until they came to a small cove. "Look over there, by the rocks!"

When Heather looked, she saw a pink Pokemon with a long tail that was dangling in the water. Her Pokedex identified it as a Slowpoke, a rare Pokemon that had abilities of both psychic and water types.

Christy was entranced. "I'm going to catch it!" She pulled a PokeBall from her belt but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

"Good afternoon, kids," said a friendly voice. They all turned to see a middle-aged man dressed in casual wear and a lab coat. "I wouldn't try to catch that Slowpoke if I were you, miss. First, it has a very powerful punch. Second, it belongs to me."

"You must be Professor Westwood!" Heather exclaimed happily. "I've been wanting to meet you, sir. I need your help."

He laughed. "My help? I'll certainly do my best. Please, come up to my house and we'll talk about it."

A short while later, they all were sitting in Professor Westwood's living room with cups of tea. Their Pokemon were out on the beach sunning or playing in the water, with the exception of Loki who stood alone on the patio and watched.

"So, Heather, what can I do for you? It must be important if you've travelled all this way."

"It's about my Raichu. He was evolved from a Pikachu by accident, and since then he has been rather bad tempered. I heard that you were an expert on Pokemon evolution and thought you'd know of a way he could be changed back."

Westwood frowned. "What you ask is almost impossible. When a Pokemon evolves, whether naturally or with the use of a stone, not only do its appearance and powers change, but its personality as well. A Pokemon that was friendly and obedient before might become terribly stubborn afterwards. A good trainer can overcome these obstacles and gain their Pokemon's respect, but there have been a few extreme cases where a newly evolved Pokemon has left its trainer." He shook his head. "But I digress. Once a Pokemon evolves, it can never go back to what it was." He held up a hand to stifle Heather's bitter reaction. "At least, that was believed to be the case until recently."

"What do you mean?" Christy asked as Heather stared, hanging on every word.

"Some of my colleagues and I have been researching an ancient Pokemon called Mew. One of its powers is thought to have been the ability to de-evolve other Pokemon. A few people have been trying to decode a sample of Mew's DNA for some idiotic reason, but I decided to focus on this, which I find much more interesting because it ties in to my other studies of Pokemon evolution."

"Do you think you'll be able to produce something like a devolution spray or potion?" asked Craig. "That would make you very wealthy."

Westwood laughed. "It would at that, but I'm not interested in money. What I would like to find out is, if such a spray were used, whether the de-evolved Pokemon could later evolve again naturally."

"That would bring a whole new dimension to Pokemon training," Heather said. "How has your research been progressing?"

"Quite well, but not without a few surprises. For example, I have in my lab an artifact that was found on the island where Mew is said to have lived. I wanted to study it, so I had it shipped here. When it arrived it had an extraordinary effect on my Slowpoke and a few local Psyducks; these particular Pokemon developed abilities that they couldn't have acquired naturally. It's my theory that only they were affected because they were psychic types, the same as Mew was."

"I hope the Pokemon are all right," Christy said with concern. "Hey, I caught my Psyduck near here. Do you think it could be one of those?"

"Don't worry about your Psyduck," said Westwood, looking out the window to watch Goldy for a moment. "It has no tag. I tagged the ones that I found to be affected, and everyone on the island knows to leave them alone. They're all fine. In the hopes of preventing this from happening to other Pokemon, I now keep the artifact in a shielded container."

A sudden commotion from outside interrupted him, and they all jumped to their feet as Loki tapped urgently on the glass patio door. Heather ran out. "What's the matter?" she began, before glancing toward the beach and noticing what was going on. "Christy! Professor! Your Pokemon look like they're going to battle!" The Psyduck and the Slowpoke were facing each other with stern expressions, while the rest of the Pokemon were watching from a fair distance.

Everyone came running. "It's not unusual for Pokemon of the same type to challenge each other," said the Professor, unconcerned. "It's a way for them to test themselves. Let's watch and see what happens."

The two Pokemon stared at each other for quite some time. ("It's normal for Slowpoke to take a while to decide what to do," Westwood said.) Finally the Slowpoke launched itself into the air and used a Head Butt to send the Psyduck flying. Goldy bounced on the sand, righted itself and quacked in annoyance before waddling forward and using a Scratch attack. The pain didn't register at first, but after a few seconds Slowpoke yelped and spouted a Water Gun. Goldy dodged it and used a Disable attack to render its opponent's Water Gun useless.

"Amazing! I've never seen a Psyduck move that fast!" the Professor exclaimed in awe.

As if to tantalize the Slowpoke, Goldy stood and waited until the Disable effect wore off. The Slowpoke stood on its hind legs and prepared to use its own Disable attack, but Goldy leaped up and fired an Ice Beam from its beak! The frozen Slowpoke fell over and Goldy hopped up and down, quacking happily.

The watching humans ran down to the scene. Christy hugged her Pokemon, congratulating it, and Craig had his Vulpix thaw the Slowpoke out. It didn't seem to be hurt too badly, but the Professor informed them that because it was so slow it took a few moments for it to realise that it had been hurt at all. "I'll just give it a potion now." He tended to his Pokemon, then went over to Goldy and looked it over closely. "Psyducks don't learn Ice Beam, except with a Technique. I thought I had found all the affected ones, but obviously I was mistaken. I commend you for being able to get along with it."

"I was lucky to have caught it at all, because it was asleep when I found it," Christy admitted. "So far it has been a terrific Pokemon!" She tickled Goldy's stomach and it fell over laughing.

Westwood nodded, then turned back to Heather. "As for your problem, I'll do my best to help. However, I need you to do something for me, since my research affords me little time to leave the island."

"Anything!" Heather pledged, a hint of desperation in her voice.

The Professor led them back to the house. "The Leader of the Viridian Gym has many scientific resources at his disposal. I asked him recently to send me some data that he had gathered on the energy levels of basic and evolved Pokemon, but he hasn't responded, and my calls to his office are answered by a machine. I'm getting worried. So I'd like you to go there and find out what's going on." From a desk he pulled out an envelope with the name "Giovanni" written on it, and gave it to Heather. "If you see him, give him this. He'll know what to do."

Craig was skeptical. "I'm afraid that we won't even be able to get into the Gym. According to the League guidebook, trainers aren't even allowed into the Viridian Gym without seven badges."

"We aren't going to challenge him to a match," Christy said. "We're on outside business. Surely he'll understand that."

"I'm sure you won't have any trouble," Professor Westwood said. "He's a reasonable man, an excellent trainer and dedicated to Pokemon. I think you'll like him."

Heather smiled. "Thank you so much for your help, Professor. We'll stay at the Pokemon Centre in the resort and catch the first ferry in the morning." She recalled her Pokemon, her friends did the same, and they headed back to town.


	8. Chapter 7

Pokemon, Pikachu and other Pokemon character names are trademarks of GameFreak Inc, Creatures Inc, Nintendo. No copyright infringement is intended.

The Road to the League  
by Sailor Chronos

Chapter Seven: Rocket's Revenge

Fortune must have been smiling that morning: not only did Christy capture a Staryu (she named it Gemma), there was a ferry to a small town called Pallet, and Viridian City was a mere two-day hike north of there. By the time they reached Viridian, all their Pokemon had gained more experience from battling wild ones.

They arrived as the sun was setting. "Home sweet home!" Christy said merrily and led Heather and Craig through a maze of streets to her parents' house, where they were welcomed with open arms and treated to a sumptuous meal and soft beds.

Early the next day they went to the Gym; the door was guarded by two hefty men in fake Romanesque armour. "Show us that you are worthy to enter," one said.

Heather showed her six badges. "I know I'm not yet worthy to challenge the Gym Leader," she said, "but I'm not here to do that. I'm delivering a message from a colleague of his, Professor Westwood." She showed the envelope that the Professor had given her.

The guards conferred, then one of them went to an intercom next to the door and had a brief conversation. "You may pass," he said when he returned, "but do your business quickly. The Leader is very busy." They opened the door.

No sooner did the three of them walk in, the door slammed shut behind them. The sound echoed from the walls of the huge arena. "Welcome to my Gym," a deep and familiar voice said. "It was most kind of you to drop by on behalf of Professor Westwood."

They were all rooted to the spot. "It can't be," Christy whispered.

A shadowed figure approached them, and when it got close enough its features resolved into those of the tall dark-suited man who was the boss of Team Rocket.

Heather gulped. "You're Giovanni?"

He smiled. "Indeed I am. I hardly expected you three to show up on my doorstep, but I'm certain none of you could have known because I never use my real name when I'm on... business." He took the envelope from Heather's limp fingers and opened it. "Ah yes. I had almost forgotten about that, I've been quite busy with my own research lately. Thank you for coming all the way here to deliver this."

Craig cleared his throat. "Well, now that we've finished our errand, we'll be leaving."

"Not so fast," Giovanni said. He snapped his fingers and a doorway opened on the far side of the arena. "You and Christy left something behind when you left. The obvious progress you have made since then has impressed me enough to offer you the chance to reclaim them." A light clicked on to illuminate two Pokemon, a Wartortle and a Charmelion.

"I don't believe it," Christy said in a small voice. "Maverick?"

Craig stared, open-mouthed. "Raid?" Then he recovered some composure. "What did you do to them?"

"I just trained them as they ought to have been trained," Giovanni said with a derisive snort. "They are both Level 20, and they are yours, if you can defeat them."

"I don't think you're the kind of man who does these things for free," Heather said with justified suspicion. "What's in it for you?"

He regarded her seriously. "My dear, I could have had you all locked up if I wanted to. However, I'm acting as the Viridian Gym Leader right now." He walked to end of the arena and brought out a PokeBall, from which emerged a Machamp. "Let's make this a standard three-on-three: these Pokemon against one of each of yours. If you win, Christy and Craig get their Pokemon back and you all may leave. If I win... let's just say you're going to be visiting for a while."

"No deal," Heather shouted, but Christy overrode her.

"I want to get Maverick back," she said. "And I'm sure Craig wants to battle with that hefty-looking Charmeleon. I'm going for it. You can do what you want." She launched one of her own PokeBalls. "Goldy, I choose you!" Her Psyduck appeared.

"All right, then," said Giovanni with a smile. "Wartortle, Water Gun attack!" The powerful water attack arched toward Goldy and struck, but it hugged the floor and most of the water cascaded off its back. Nevertheless, it had taken a lot of damage.

"Goldy! Are you all right?" The Psyduck hopped back onto its feet, shook the water off itself and quacked an affirmative.

Giovanni lifted an eyebrow. "Not bad, but unfortunately Psyducks take extra damage from water attacks. Wartortle, Bubble!"

"Goldy, dodge it!" The Psyduck tried, but was grazed by the attack and fell. As it struggled to get up, the Wartortle started to walk purposefully toward it.

"This battle is over," Giovanni said confidently.

"We're not going down so easily!" Christy said, but her eyes were brimming with tears of despair. "Come on, Goldy! We've got to win this!" She lowered her voice. "You're the best Pokemon I've ever had... Please, win this one for me."

Goldy looked over at her for a moment, then fixed its gaze on the approaching Wartortle. "Psy... duck!" it said, then it began to glow brightly!

"What's this?" Giovanni exclaimed.

"It's evolving!" Heather said.

Goldy grew to almost twice its height, its feathers becoming a light blue colour and its bill growing sharper and more streamlined. Well muscled arms and legs indicated that this Golduck was a force to be reckoned with.

"All right!" Christy yelled. "Goldy, Disable its Water Gun!" The Golduck put its hands to its head and immobilised the Wartortle, which stood there shaking its head in surprise.

"It has other abilities," said Giovanni with scorn. "Wartortle, Bubble attack!"

"Oh no, you don't! Goldy, Ice Beam, now!" At a disadvantage and unable to use its main attack, the Wartortle could only watch as the Golduck effortlessly brushed its bubbles aside and encased it in ice.

"I pronounce you the winner," Giovanni said as his Machamp removed the ice from the Wartortle. "Make your capture."

"Thank you so much!" Christy threw a PokeBall and the Wartortle disappeared into it. She hugged it to herself. "I'm so glad to have you back, Maverick! I promise I'll do better this time!"

"My turn," said Craig, eyeing the Charmelion carefully. "Hawke, I choose you!"

"Interesting choice." The Gym Leader was unconcerned. "Charmelion, Ember attack!"

"Hawke, fly!" The Spearow dodged the attack easily. "Give it your Fire Blast!" Hawke took aim and opened its beak... but nothing happened!

"Huh?" All three friends were shocked.

Giovanni laughed. "You gave your Spearow a Fire Blast technique? I'm sorry to tell you this, but certain TMs don't work well, if at all, with some Pokemon. If you give a Pokemon a TM that is not compatible with its type, it will forget the ability after a short time. Charmelion, Growl!" The sonic attack hit the Spearow, and it was forced to land and regain its bearings.

"Hawke, hold on! We've gotta do this! Leer attack!" The Spearow attempted to stare down the Charmelion, and the red lizard stared back.

Keeping one eye on the battle, Heather pulled out her Pokedex to verify what Giovanni had said. It was true; a Spearow could not use Fire Blast.

Hawke fell onto its side, the Charmelion's stronger Leer had been too much for it. "Charmelion, Mega Kick!" Giovanni ordered, and the lizard Pokemon kicked the Spearow into the far wall of the arena.

"Raid never had that ability!" Craig protested.

"All the more reason for me to bestow it," came the smooth reply.

As Craig ran to tend to his fallen Pokemon, Heather did a quick TM compatibility check of her own Pokemon, and the results dismayed her. Pidgeot with Reflect, no problem. Raichu and Mega Punch, no problem again. However, Fearows could not use Mega Drain nor could Farfetch'd use Strength, and it was highly likely that by now her Pokemon had forgotten the moves. Worst of all, an Articuno couldn't use Thunderbolt, which she didn't think was fair, because other water and ice types such as Lapras could use it and it seemed reasonable for Skye to be able to use it also.

She looked up; Giovanni was politely waiting for her to finish consulting her Pokedex. For her and her friends to leave here she had to defeat both the Charmelion and the Machamp. Which of her Pokemon would be up to the task? "Loki, I choose you!" Her Raichu stepped out from behind her. One Thunderwave was all it took to disable the Charmelion, and Craig captured it.

Now Giovanni wasn't looking so confident. "Machamp, Focus Energy!" His Machamp assumed a prayer-like pose and stood still.

Heather realised that she couldn't allow the Machamp to make its next move, because the damage would be doubled. "Loki, Agility!" Loki ran toward the Machamp so quickly he could hardly be seen. When he got close enough, Heather called, "Now, use your Mega Punch!"

Her opponent smirked. "Machamp, Karate Chop!"

The two attacks connected simultaneously, and both Pokemon were thrown backward onto the floor. Machamp jumped to its feet, although it was somewhat unsteady. Loki however, had been hurt badly and could barely stand.

"I appear to have the advantage now," the Gym Leader said. "And your Raichu looks like it can't continue. Do you concede?"

Loki answered the question for her by blasting the Machamp with a Thundershock attack. The floor in the middle of the arena cracked as the electricity ran through it, and the Machamp leaped into the air to avoid the brunt of it.

"Machamp, Low Kick!" Giovanni ordered.

"Loki, watch out!" Heather yelled, and he threw himself aside just in time as the Machamp crashed down. Having already been weakened by the electric attack, the floor splintered into a gaping hole from the force of the kick, and Loki fell into the darkness below.

"Loki!" she cried, then made a snap decision. There was no way she was going to leave her Raichu. "Christy, Craig, you guys get out of here if you can!" she told them, and flung herself into the hole after Loki. She barely heard the Gym Leader's outraged roar as she fell, then heard a muffled clang as she hit a metal floor and was knocked unconscious.


	9. Chapter 8

Pokemon, Pikachu and other Pokemon character names are trademarks of GameFreak Inc, Creatures Inc, Nintendo. No copyright infringement is intended.

The Road to the League  
by Sailor Chronos

Chapter Eight: Gone Underground

"Rai-chu! ...Rai-chu!"

Loki's voice and the low hum of electricity brought Heather to wakefulness. She groaned and managed to sit up with some effort. It felt like she had bruises all over her body. Looking down the shadowy corridor, she could see Loki trying to fend off several strange objects that were hovering nearby. They looked like no more than gray balls with horseshoe magnets attached to either side.

Pokedex time. "Magnemite: the magnet Pokemon. This Pokemon congregates near power plants and uses electric attacks."

"Hey, Magnemites, we didn't mean to disturb you!" she called, hoping to distract them from Loki. It worked too well: they came to circle menacingly around her. "Stop it!"

Loki Thundershocked the Magnemites, forcing them to retreat and giving her the chance to clamber to her feet. They ran for the door at the end of the hall, with the Magnemites in hot pursuit, and Heather cursed to herself. She should have expected there to be hostile Pokemon down here! Her birds would be at a disadvantage in the cramped space and Loki's electricity was finite. They were in major trouble!

Discharges from the Magnemites permeated the corridor, and the hairs on her arms stood on end. Possibly the only things protecting her from electrocution were the rubber-soled shoes that she wore. Somehow she had to strike back; if she did so, maybe they would leave her alone. "Firey, I choose you! Mirror Move!" The Fearow appeared, and as the Magnemites attempted to shock him, he threw their attacks right back at them and knocked them out of the air. "Good job! Return!" Without breaking stride, she and Loki continued on.

They skidded to a halt at the door, and Heather yanked it open just long enough for them to get into the next room, then closed it securely. "Loki," she panted, "I'm so glad you're all right!" She held her arms out. He stared at her, plainly touched that she had risked herself for his sake, then leaped into her arms.

She cuddled Loki while catching her breath, then she turned around and was immediately awe-struck. They were in a cavernous chamber, its walls lined with machinery and tanks filled with bubbling liquid. On a shelf stood several machines that looked like incubators, and in each of them was a large egg.

"Wow," she whispered. "This might be a genetic engineering facility for Pokemon, where they breed Pokemon that are stronger than normal!"

She put Loki down and started to approach one of the incubating machines to get a closer look, but another door opened and a lab-coated scientist stepped in. "Who are you?" he demanded. "You're not supposed to be here!"

"I- I'm sorry," she said nervously, "I took a wrong turn."

"Stupid recruits, always getting lost," the man grumbled. "Come with me, young lady, I'll show you the way back to the training area." He gestured for her to follow him out the door through which he had entered.

"That won't be necessary, Doc," said a new voice, and Heather turned her head to see Will, with Bonnie standing next to him. He had his Venonat out and she was holding a net gun. "This girl is in big trouble with the boss and we're here to collect her. Come peacefully, minx, or we'll have to drag you."

Heather mimicked Will's voice. "That won't be necessary." Then she turned to Loki. "Do you have any electricity left?" He nodded and prepared to battle.

"No! Not in my lab!" the scientist protested. "My equipment!"

"Stuff it, gramps!" Bonnie said, and pulled the trigger.

Heather dodged to one side in an attempt to avoid the net, but it entangled her legs, causing her to crash into one of the shelves. This only aggravated the painful bruises she already had, and she fell to the floor in a heap.

"Gotcha!" said Bonnie with pride. "Now we're going to get a nice promotion for stopping you!" She and Will began to laugh.

"Whatever," the grumpy scientist said. "Now please leave!"

The net was firmly attached to her lower body, and no matter how hard Heather tried, she couldn't move or break it. Suddenly she remembered the Machine that Craig had given her; she still had it in her pocket. If she gave it to a Pokemon that could use it... "Fletch, I choose you!" She released her Farfetch'd.

"Oh, no you don't!" Will said. "Venonat, Tackle Attack!"

"Fletch, fly!" Fletch took his leek in his bill and launched himself upward. The Venonat hit the floor and slid halfway across the room. "Fletch, Fury Attack!" Within moments the Venonat was subdued, and Will recalled it, frowning with displeasure.

"This isn't over yet!" Bonnie vowed as she searched her belt for a PokeBall that wasn't there. "Must have left it upstairs. Oh well." She aimed her net gun at Fletch. "Try this on for size!"

By now Heather had managed to squeeze her hand into her pocket and get the Machine out. "Fletch, use this!" She threw it to Fletch as Bonnie pulled the trigger. "Cut attack!" There was a flash as her Farfetch'd opened the Machine, and when the net landed on him, he slashed it to pieces. Will and Bonnie stood there for a moment, shaking in their boots, as Fletch and Loki advanced on them. Then they turned and ran out the way they had come in.

No sooner had Fletch cut the net off of her, the scientist berated her for making a mess of his lab. She apologised profusely as she returned her Pokemon to their PokeBalls, and let him lead her out of the lab and up two flights of stairs to another part of the building. "Next time, don't go wandering into places that are off-limits. The nerve of kids today..." He left, still muttering to himself.

Heather sighed. While she was safe for the moment, she was still in hostile territory. She had to get out as quickly as possible. On a hunch, she opened her Pokedex. It contained pictures of the exterior of Viridian Gym but no details of the inside other than saying it housed the arena, offices and the Gym Leader's living quarters. Resigned, she began to walk along the slightly curved hallway, listening carefully for any sounds of approaching people. She had to come across something helpful sooner or later.

It came sooner than expected; she had walked no more than twenty paces when she noticed a large grille in the lower part of the wall. From what she knew of ventilation, air entered a room from above, returned to the system from below and was vented to the outside. If the duct was big enough she could follow it to the end and get out that way.

She had Fletch use his new Cut ability to get the grille off, and crawled inside. Then Skye used her ice beam to hold it on its mounting. Loki would have been able to fuse it back on permanently, but the duct was metal and she would have been shocked. Hopefully by the time the ice melted and the grille fell off she would be long gone.

Crawling on hands and knees through the ducts without making too much noise was difficult, and in one narrow spot she had to take her backpack off and wiggle through on her stomach. It was then that she noticed that her pack was torn across the top; it had probably caught on an edge of the hole when she jumped through. It was too cramped in here to check it properly and see if anything was missing, so she closed it up as well as she could and made a mental note to buy a new one.

To her immense relief, the duct ended after about a dozen yards at another grille, through which she could see asphalt. Loki's Mega Punch made quick work of it, and she clambered out to find herself in the Gym's parking lot; the surrounding buildings cast long shadows in the late afternoon sunshine. This time she had Loki fuse the grille back into place, and once that was done, she fled.

* * *

The next morning when she woke, she still felt achy all over but was able to get up and eat the meal that had been prepared for her. After her escape from the Viridian Gym, she hadn't stopped running until she reached a Pokemon Centre. An appalled Nurse Joy had found her all but collapsed on the front steps, and immediately put her to bed.

"I suggest that you take it easy today," Joy told her firmly. "You were lucky that you didn't break anything in the fall that you took. All your Pokemon are fine, although your Raichu won't go back into its PokeBall until it sees you. Your egg is in an incubator and I'm hoping that it didn't cool down too much, because it's close to hatching."

Her what? Heather almost choked on her food. "May I see it?"

Joy took her to the infirmary. On a table in one corner of the room was the incubator, and inside was a large egg with red and orange markings all over it. "It was lucky that I found it, it rolled out of your backpack as I was taking it off you. It's a fine-looking egg, and I'd say from the colour it might hatch a fire type Pokemon."

Heather stared at it in astonishment, then thought back. Her backpack had ripped when she fell, then she had smashed into that shelf in the lab. It was just possible that one of the incubating machines had tipped over when she hit it and the egg inside fell into her torn pack without anyone noticing it. It could very well be one of Team Rocket's engineered Pokemon, and if it hatched it would be hers!

"I don't have any fire types," she said slowly. "But is it usually easy to tell just by looking?"

"Not really," Joy admitted. "I've read that most Pokemon eggs have swirls or splotches on them, in colours that don't have anything to do with what type it is."

She looked at it for a moment more, then remembered Christy and Craig, and their errand. "I need to contact Professor Westwood on Seafoam Island. Then I want to go out and look for some friends," she said urgently.

Joy reassured her, "Not to worry. I got two phone calls yesterday afternoon. One was from the Professor, asking if you were here. I told him you were and he seemed satisfied with that. The other was from a girl named Christy, she said she was a friend of yours and asked me to tell you that she and Craig were all right. They'll meet you back in Pallet Town tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? That doesn't give me much time. Thank you for all your help, Nurse Joy, but I really should be going."

"It's my pleasure. I can give you an insulated carrying case for your egg. That way you won't have to hold onto it all the time to keep it warm."

Heather washed quickly, gathered up her gear and the precious egg. She delayed just long enough to buy herself a new backpack at the PokeMart, then released Eagle. "South to Pallet Town!" she said as she climbed on his back, and Eagle took wing.


	10. Chapter 9

Pokemon, Pikachu and other Pokemon character names are trademarks of GameFreak Inc, Creatures Inc, Nintendo. No copyright infringement is intended.

The Road to the League  
by Sailor Chronos

Chapter Nine: Many Happy Returns

They flew for the rest of the day and into the night. Heather had no worries about straying off course because Eagle's sharp vision enabled him to see for a fair distance. He was much stronger now, but she still insisted that Firey and Fletch take turns being wingmen and that they all land and rest every so often.

During their breaks she had wing-stretching sessions with Skye. The young Articuno's flight feathers were beginning to grow in, and she estimated that the bird would be flying in another two to three weeks. After that would come the real training, and it would take a long time for Skye to gain her higher-level attacks like Blizzard.

Heather was half-asleep by the time Eagle squawked to announce that they were approaching Pallet Town. When they landed she put the birds into their PokeBalls after making much fuss over them, then found herself a bed at the local Pokemon Centre.

In the morning she listened entranced to Nurse Joy's description of the famous Professor Oak and his Pokemon research facility, but she regretfully declined an invitation to visit it because she knew she had to meet up with Christy and Craig at the ferry terminal.

There were tearful hugs all around when the friends reunited, and they shared stories of how they escaped the Viridian Gym. "The Machamp tried to go after you when you jumped through the hole, but it got stuck," Christy said with a smirk. "It got so mad that it started to tear up the floor. The boss... I mean, Giovanni hollered at it then used his cell phone to have people sent down to the lower levels to look for you."

"While he was distracted with all that, we ran out the front doors," Craig continued. "The two guards tried to stop us and asked us what had happened, but we weren't about to tell them. We thought about trying to get you out of there, but decided to run back to Christy's house instead."

Christy shook her head. "We didn't like running away, but you had told us to beat it. When we told my mom, she said that it would be safer for us to split up for a while in case the Team Rocket people tried to track us down. After we left a message with Nurse Joy, Mom drove us here."

"Wow! Sounds like your mom is really nice," Heather said.

"Normally she wouldn't have done something like that, but it was sort of an emergency. I'm glad she understood."

Craig asked, "You flew here on your Pidgeot, I take it?"

"Yup. When your Charmelion becomes a Charizard, you ought to train it to carry you. It's the greatest thing! Oh," she held up the insulated carrying case that she held. "This made that whole adventure in the Viridian Gym worth it!" She opened it to show the egg.

"Cool!" the others exclaimed. "Do you know what kind it is?"

"Nurse Joy told me that it's almost impossible to tell what will hatch from an egg, but I hope that it'll be another bird for my team!"

A whistle sounded. "Come on, we have to get onto the boat!" Christy reminded them, and they boarded the ferry for Seafoam Island.

* * *

Professor Westwood was extremely glad to see them when they arrived in the early afternoon, and invited them to stay for lunch. "I finally received the data that I needed from Giovanni, and it has helped immeasurably. I hope you and he got along well?"

The trio of friends looked at one another for a moment. "He's... very sure of himself," Heather said at last, not wanting to upset him by telling him who Giovanni really was. "A bit intimidating."

"He's often like that," Westwood said. "Once you get to know him, though, he's a good man."

"How are you doing with the devolution spray?" Craig asked, deftly changing the subject.

Heather leaned forward eagerly. "Yes, please tell us!"

Westwood hesitated. "I've done tests but so far there hasn't been much progress. I think that I might be missing something."

There was silence for a moment.

"I have an idea," Christy said. "Is is possible that the spray has to be tailored to a Pokemon's type?"

"I thought of that, but a spray that has to be customized isn't efficient. It would be better to have something that's effective on all types of Pokemon."

"Then what do all Pokemon have in common as far as evolution is concerned?" asked Craig.

The Professor considered. "Their energy levels increase substantially as they change form, which is why an injured Pokemon can appear to be healed after it evolves. Their personalities change, and they become tougher and able to take more damage in a battle."

"So if a Pokemon de-evolved, those three changes would be reversed," Heather theorized. "The Pokemon would revert to its previous form, personality and energy level. Would it be reasonable to assume that it retains its experience and any special abilities it learned?"

"Yes, provided that its previous form is able to perform those moves," said Craig. "A Kakuna can't do a Twineedle attack like a Beedrill can." He paused as Professor Westwood stood up. "What?"

Westwood slowly walked away from the table, talking to himself. "Reversed energy... Capacity decrease..." He looked back at them for a brief second to say, "I'll be right back!" before hurrying out.

His "right back" turned out to be several hours. In the interim, Heather and her friends amused themselves by swimming and playing with their Pokemon on the beach behind the house. Skye and Christy's Staryu battled each other to a draw.

At last the Professor emerged from the house, carrying a small spray bottle in his hand. "Eureka!" he proclaimed happily. "It's amazing how a fresh perspective can motivate you. I hadn't taken into account the reduction of a Pokemon's energy capacity." He held up the spray. "So here we have it. I haven't tested it yet, and I thought-"

Christy held up her hands. "No way am I turning my Golduck into a guinea-pig!"

"I'll have a talk with Loki," Heather said, and walked over to where the Raichu was sitting on the sand, looking sad. She sat down next to him but didn't say anything for a while. Instead she looked out at the ocean as the warm breeze ruffled her hair. "I don't blame you for feeling that way," she said finally. "I think we've both become accustomed to your being a Raichu now." She petted him. "I won't force you to try this, but please think about it. You're much more powerful as a Raichu than as a Pikachu, but on the other hand, if you remain this way you'll never be able to learn any new attacks."

"Rai." Loki nodded; he already knew that.

Heather smiled. "Whatever you decide, I'll always be your friend."

Loki hopped into her lap and they spent a few more minutes watching the waves. Then he abruptly wriggled out of her arms and walked over to Westwood. "Rai-chu!" He pointed at the spray.

The Professor was a little taken aback. "Are you sure?"

"Rai!"

"Okay, here goes."

Heather couldn't watch. She only heard a soft hiss as Westwood squeezed the bottle. There was a pause, then the hairs on her arms stood on end as a bolt of lightning streaked past her and out toward the water, leaving scorch marks on the sand. "RAI!" She turned to look. Loki was still a Raichu, and he was furious. The spray hadn't worked!

Scrambling to her feet, she ran forward to comfort her Pokemon. Westwood shouted a warning but she wasn't listening. When she tried to pick Loki up, he lashed out with another blast, knocking her down. "Loki, stop!" she cried as she managed to get to her hands and knees.

An alarm began to ring nearby, and she briefly wondered if Loki's electricity had accidentally set off someone's security system.

"Catch him!" Christy yelled as she and the others backed off. "He's out of control!"

Reluctantly Heather threw a PokeBall but Loki swatted it away with his tail and glared at her. She glared right back; his anger might be justified but she wasn't going to put up with this nonsense any more. "Loki, behave yourself right now! You're being immature!"

"Rai!" he growled, and sparks jumped from his cheeks.

"I said STOP!" she hollered, startling him. For a brief moment she thought he would shock her again but he didn't; he just stood there and stared at his feet. Suddenly she realised that despite what she had said before, she didn't want one of her best Pokemon to be so self-centered. "Professor!" she called. "Toss me the spray, I want to try it again!"

"What good will that do?" said Craig. "You saw, it doesn't work!"

"Please!" Heather begged. "I want my Pikachu back!"

Westwood threw the bottle. Unfortunately, before it could reach Heather's outstretched hands, it was caught by a Zubat and taken back to a teenaged girl with a long blonde braid.

"Now we've got your precious spray," she said as a boy with a blue ponytail stepped up beside her. "This will fetch a pretty reward from the boss, not to mention all the rare Pokemon here when we steal them!"

"You again!" Craig said.

Will and Bonnie launched into their motto, but Heather interrupted them halfway through. "How dare you follow us and threaten Professor Westwood's research!" She released Eagle. "Eagle, Whirlwind attack!"

The two Team Rocket members and the Zubat were blown backwards into some trees. Bonnie dropped the spray bottle, which Craig's Spearow caught and returned to him. "I suggest that you remind your boss that I once promised I would trash the headquarters in Saffron City if I was bothered by any of his lackeys again!"

"The boss isn't scared of a little girl like you!" Will said, but Loki made him eat his words by jolting him with a Thundershock. Somehow he managed to stay standing.

Bonnie rushed to his aid. "We're going to keep causing trouble until you either join us or we capture your Pokemon!" she threatened. "Zubat, Supersonic!"

The attack stunned them all briefly, giving Team Rocket the chance to run away, but they didn't get far as they came face to face with an Officer Jenny, who clamped handcuffs on both of them.

"You two are under arrest for trespassing! Is everyone okay here, Professor? I came as fast as I could when I noticed on our computer system that your house's alarm had been activated."

"We're all right, thank you," Westwood replied. He brought a device out of his pocket and disabled the alarm, bringing quiet once more.

"Good. I'll take care of these two."

It was some time before Heather could bring herself to confront Loki again. Despite the loyalty he had shown when Team Rocket had threatened her, she felt that their friendship had been badly damaged by the events of recent weeks. It hadn't been just the sudden evolution, but the ensuing personality conflict that they just couldn't seem to resolve. How could they work things out when she was wary of him and he was so easily provoked?

Eagle paced up to her and began to playfully ruffle her hair with his beak. She laughed and reached up to gently pull his crest.

"It's getting late," Craig said from behind her. "The Professor is going to treat us to dinner at one of the restaurants in town to thank us for helping to stop Team Rocket." He stooped down and handed her the spray. "If you still want to try it, now's as good a time as any. Everyone's waiting."

She hauled herself up; her legs were a little stiff from sitting on the sand so long. Eagle willingly returned to his PokeBall, and she headed to the house. There she noticed that Christy had packed up her backpack for her and was holding onto the case that contained her egg. She nodded her thanks before approaching Loki. "Are you ready to try this again? I want you to be your happy Pikachu self."

Loki simply stood and waited, so she took the bottle, made a silent wish for everything to be all right again, and sprayed him.


	11. Epilogue

Pokemon, Pikachu and other Pokemon character names are trademarks of GameFreak Inc, Creatures Inc, Nintendo. No copyright infringement is intended.

The Road to the League  
by Sailor Chronos

Epilogue

Heather sighed and smiled at her audience before glancing out the window. "I'd better finish, because it looks like Craig is on his way."

"Oh come on, don't stop now!" the boys protested.

The boy with the Pidgey (she couldn't remember his name) asked, "Did the spray work after all?"

Jack made a face. "Obviously, Dave!" He pointed to a pair of bright yellow ears that were poking up above his sister's head. "I want to know what happened to Will and Bonnie."

Another boy called out, "What about the Pokemon Tech school?"

"Yeah, and the mysterious egg?" asked someone else.

The door to the PokeShop opened and Craig stepped in. "Hi people, sorry I'm late. Is everyone ready for our ball game?"

There was a chorus of "No!" Craig took a few steps backward as if he had been hit by a Thunder Punch, and Christy laughed.

"To answer Dave's question," Heather said as Loki mischeviously pulled on her hair, "yes. The weird thing that we discovered was that you can only use the spray on your own Pokemon, not someone else's. That's why it didn't work when the Professor tried it." She grabbed her Pikachu and deposited him in her lap. "As for the rest, that's another story."

She and Christy shooed the boys outside amidst their expressions of disappointment. "Now I will have to write it all down," she said wryly when the shop was quiet once more.

"Then you'd better do it soon," Christy suggested, "because I have a feeling that they'll be coming back for more."

The shopkeeper joked, "Maybe you should have a weekly story hour!"

"Pika!" Loki agreed happily.

THE END

Sailor Chronos  
March 2001

I dedicate this story to the following people:

My good friend Stefan, for listening.

Kristopher and Kevin, two young Pokemon-crazy cousins.

And Dave, for lending me his Game Boy so I could finally play Pokemon Yellow.


End file.
